The Return of Lilietta - Chapter 76
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 76
“Wow, really? Then I can practice at home now?”
“If you do it safely with the stance I taught you. Don’t forget that you only put your finger on the trigger when firing.”
“Yes! I’ll really practice hard! Until I can learn your stance, teacher!”
Lavinia’s eyes sparkled as she smiled brightly.
If she knew that the standard Lillieta had set wasn’t easy for a beginner, she would have looked dejected, but not knowing this, Lavinia was simply excited.
Rita said with a smile.
“Then, let’s practice a few more times until you get used to the basic stance. Lower your gun, sit down, then stand up and take your stance again.”
“Yes, teacher!”
* * *
Since Lavinia was more enthusiastic than expected, Lillieta taught her for quite a long time.
Therefore, it was only after Lavinia had returned home and she had finished dinner with her family members that she reopened Pascal’s History that Oli had lent her.
Lillieta leaned against her bed and examined the leather-bound book from various angles.
‘There’s a magic circle engraved inside the cover. That must be Oli’s work. She made it so that just anyone can’t read it carelessly.’
After briefly skimming the table of contents, she quickly flipped through the pages.
‘They all said they returned four years ago, so there are records from 1766 to this year too.’
The past years that weren’t in the table of contents were inserted at the very end of the book with a label saying ‘Revision Complete’. It seemed that each year’s chapter was separated and moved to the back of the book, then bound together with magic.
‘This is curious too. What Beacon has changed so far.’
But deciding to check the already past history later, Rita returned to the front of the book and looked for the content she wanted first. Since it was an important event, it was marked in red separately, making it easy to find.
‘…The beginning of disaster. The occurrence of mana contamination and the appearance of magical beasts.’
May 1773.
About three years from now, monsters from the White Mountains and Black Forest would begin to rampage. All kinds of monsters would leave their habitats and recklessly attack civilian homes.
There was a note attached like a tag to that section.
The first part was in Oli’s handwriting.
‘Canary? That must be about the birds used to detect toxic gases in mines, right? Are monsters serving as canaries warning of mana contamination?’
The different handwriting in the middle was Gid’s, and the round handwriting at the end saying he would keep watch was Luca, Beacon’s Youngest.
Rita continued reading the history of that section.
While the Empire concentrated its capabilities on this situation named ‘Monster Great Rampage’, an unidentified epidemic broke out somewhere in the western part of the continent. That disease spread faster than the messengers announcing the situation, instantly annihilating the west.
‘It’s not actually an epidemic. People who aren’t Oathbinders died or turned into magical beasts due to mana contamination.’
A large river called the Hinder River in the north but called Merozhe in the central region divided the Empire’s west and east, and the epidemic temporarily stopped at this river. In that gap, the Empire dispatched an investigation team to the west, but no one returned.
Soon after, strange monsters that weren’t monsters emerged from the west where communication had been cut off and spread in all directions. The phenomenon of humans mutating into monsters was also observed. The term ‘mana contamination’ appeared for the first time.
And the Sun’s fire went out.
Year One of the disaster outbreak.
The Empire built fortifications along the Merozhe River and began war with the monsters emerging from the contaminated west. In the north, Raskail built fortifications along the Hinder River, and in the south, Duirebourg built fortifications.
These fortifications were collectively called the defense line. This was the origin of the ‘Last Line of Defense’ 200 years later.
As the war continued, the defense line kept retreating. The range of mana contamination expanded uncontrollably, and existing knights and mages were no match for the magical beasts.
Three years after the disaster outbreak, the kingdoms around the Empire collapsed. Refugees poured into the Empire, and contamination and magical beasts flourished in the lands where humans had disappeared.
Four years after the disaster outbreak, the ‘Great Invasion’.
Magical beasts overflowed from the expanded contaminated zones and launched a massive attack on the defense lines. The Empire’s defense lines finally collapsed, Northern Raskail was isolated, and the Imperial Capital Lambard was contaminated.
At this time, the fleeing Emperor died, the Crown Prince inherited the throne, and moved the Empire’s capital to Duirebourg in the south, which was not yet contaminated.
In the fifth year, ‘Oaths’ were discovered. The new Emperor gathered Oath users and established the Magical Beast Defense Corps.
Fierce war continued after that as well…
‘In the 18th year after the disaster outbreak, the Emperor died in battle defending the defense lines, the Empire that had barely been holding on collapsed, and a full-scale era of anarchy began…’
Rita let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.
‘It’s too late once the disaster breaks out. I need to find the cause within three years and stop the mana contamination itself.’
And it seemed she would need to train Oathbinder units in advance to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
‘They must already be preparing for this. The talents the Crown Prince raised are probably Oathbinders.’
Looking again, there was a note attached in the corner.
It was Gid’s handwriting.
‘As expected, they’re preparing for everything. The ruined ruins must be referring to the place where we found the star, right? At this point in time, it wouldn’t be ruins but an intact castle. Hmm, I’ll ask about the details at the salon…’
Mana contamination would start in three years, but what was the background for a magical beast called Kraken suddenly appearing at this point? If mana contamination hadn’t started early…
‘Gid seemed to have some idea. I should ask about this at the salon too.’
She reread the part she had just read to memorize it. While feeling suffocated by the history of impending doom, she also felt a strange sensation.
‘I can see why Gid is a hero even without reading the heroic tales.’
A leader who made the Empire last 18 years while other kingdoms collapsed within three years in the face of the unprecedented disaster of mana contamination.
A monarch who somehow continued research on Oaths in harsh conditions, established the Magical Beast Defense Corps which was a primitive Oathbinder unit, and established the structure that would become the predecessor of the Last Line of Defense and Command Center.
The last king and emperor recorded in history. He was merely a Crown Prince at the beginning of the disaster outbreak, and it was speculated that if he had become emperor sooner, the Empire would have lasted much longer.
A person whose death was considered the death of the Empire and the death of the old era. An existence who became the standard dividing the brilliant old era when the Empire and kingdoms prospered and the new era of fighting for survival in the ruins of the old era.
That was Gideon el Redert Kairam.
‘This emperor is my comrade and our Squad Leader.’
She knew he was extraordinary, but she didn’t know it was to this extent. Rita looked at the familiar name with unfamiliarity.
‘I pushed his back with my bare feet.’
Shouldn’t she have done that? Should she show a little more courtesy when they meet next time? If he was recorded in history to this extent, not just in heroic tales, he was literally humanity’s hope.
‘First, I need to make our family support Gid quickly. I should talk to Leonhardt tomorrow right away.’
Rita decided not to treat Gid too casually in the future and moved on to the heroic tales section.
‘The things I’m curious about first.’
She looked at her own entry first.
It was exactly as Olivia had told her during the day. Since ‘Lillieta del Nisa Raskail’s’ life in Pascal’s History was extremely short to begin with, there didn’t seem to be much content to glean.
‘At least some records remained because her constitution was unusual… and because of this.’
December 1766, Noblewoman Lillieta of Raskail died of sudden pneumonia complications at age 16. Due to this, the marriage talks with the Crown Prince naturally fell through.
‘This record remained because of the marriage talks with the Crown Prince. And this Crown Prince is…’
Gid.
In the ashen era, Gid was the same age as her, but the returned Gideon was two years older than her. So when Lillieta was 16, Gideon was 18.
She felt strange.
“Where else would you find someone as suitable as the Noblewoman of Raskail to be Crown Princess?”
Those words Gid had said.
Honestly, as his long-time friend, it could only sound like a joke to her, but in Pascal’s History, that wasn’t a joke.
‘Of course, in that history it would have been between an ordinary noble young lady and the Crown Prince… With Adicl having marriage talks with Duirebourg, it would be natural for the Crown Prince to choose Raskail.’
Rita tried to imagine the 16-year-old Noblewoman Lillieta and 18-year-old Crown Prince Gideon meeting on the premise of a political marriage in that background, but stopped because she felt strange.
‘Then who did Gid end up marrying in this history?’
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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